Five Stages Of Sleep
The majority of us think that when we fall asleep, our body simply slows down and relaxes,resting and recharging in readiness for the next day, now while this in part true, the actual sleep process is anything but calm and restful
Our nights sleep is actually made up of five stages; all are very different and surprisingly active –
As we progress through these stages, our body is anything but inactive; our brain activity changes along with our body temperature as our body repairs and refreshes our muscles, cells and brain in readiness for the coming day
The stages are collectively known as Sleep Architecture and in ideal conditions run over an 8 hour cycle.
Stage One
The first stage of sleep, we are actually somewhere between consciousness and sleep, our brain produces very slow brain waves known as Theta Waves. If we were to be disturbed during this stage, we would not feel rested at all.
Stage Two
The second stage of sleep usually lasting about 20 minutes, the brain starts to produce fast rhythmic waves called Sleep Spindles, along with this, our hear rate slows and our body temperature reduces.
Stage Three
During this stage we slip from light sleep into a deeper one, our brian waves slow down and become Delta Waves which have a much lower frequency and higher amplitude. During this stage our heart and breathing rate are at their slowest.
Stage Four
Thought to be the most restful part of sleep, and often referred to as Delta Sleep. During this stage our blood pressure reduces and our muscles relax, the blood flow into the muscles increases, helping to refresh and restore.
Stage Five
Called REM sleep, this stage has the most brain activity and is when most dreams occur.
During REM sleep our brain processes our memory, and boosts its natural supply of dopamine and serotonin which amongst other things,help to balance our moods during the following day.
Not Always In This Order
These stages do not necessarily follow each other in this order, often after going through REM sleep we can drift back to stage two and then repeat the cycle in differing orders. The REM stage of sleep is usually the longest.
A Full Nights Sleep Is Important
With all these stages; its little wonder that disturbed sleep can have such a detrimental effect on our health, sufferers can often experience anxiety, stress and even memory loss. Extended periods of sleep problems can ultimately lead to a hard to break habit that could seriously affect our general health
Natural Sleeping Aids
There are some rather good sleeping aids that being totally natural, can help generate good restful sleep without running the risks associated with prescription sleeping drugs
One such product is Alteril, originating from the USA and now available to poor sleepers throughout Australia, 100% natural, quick to work and clinically proven.
